Going to bed

I also often used to go to bed in the early hours. Addressing my sleep hygiene (as it's known) was one of the first changes that I made after learning that I'm autistic.

Developing good sleep hygiene was also among the list of standard recommendations that were included as an appendix in my assessment report. It notes that "Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can affect your mood, making you more anxious, unhappy, and irritable".

My sleep routine now includes:

• Using Apple's "Sleep Focus" settings to automatically put my devices into "wind down" mode, which also triggers a nightly sleep preparation reminder.
• Having mood lighting in the bedroom (a galaxy lamp).
• Reading on my Kindle (which has a backlight, so no bright lights are involved) for around 10-30 minutes.
• Using a large, soft toy as a snuggle buddy, which I find very comforting and helpful. 

I'm still amazed at how well this works. Even when I don't feel particularly tired, it soon kicks in once I've followed my routine and read for a little while. 

But, as the article below explains, we each need to consider what will work best for us, as we're all different.

You might find this resource helpful. The author (a neurodivergent clinician) notes that "It takes roughly 28 days for your brain to adopt a new routine", so perseverance is important. However, she also explains how we can add elements to that new routine gradually, over time, to help with that, and avoid making it too daunting or overwhelming, at the outset, to cope with:

Neurodivergent Insights - ADHD and Autism Bedtime Routine: Advice for Neurodivergent Adults

It's also one of the suggestions in this book, which I found very helpful early on.

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

The NAS also has some advice here, which again includes creating a routine:

NAS - Sleep and autism

I also often used to go to bed in the early hours. Addressing my sleep hygiene (as it's known) was one of the first changes that I made after learning that I'm autistic.

Developing good sleep hygiene was also among the list of standard recommendations that were included as an appendix in my assessment report. It notes that "Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can affect your mood, making you more anxious, unhappy, and irritable".

My sleep routine now includes:

• Using Apple's "Sleep Focus" settings to automatically put my devices into "wind down" mode, which also triggers a nightly sleep preparation reminder.
• Having mood lighting in the bedroom (a galaxy lamp).
• Reading on my Kindle (which has a backlight, so no bright lights are involved) for around 10-30 minutes.
• Using a large, soft toy as a snuggle buddy, which I find very comforting and helpful. 

I'm still amazed at how well this works. Even when I don't feel particularly tired, it soon kicks in once I've followed my routine and read for a little while. 

But, as the article below explains, we each need to consider what will work best for us, as we're all different.

You might find this resource helpful. The author (a neurodivergent clinician) notes that "It takes roughly 28 days for your brain to adopt a new routine", so perseverance is important. However, she also explains how we can add elements to that new routine gradually, over time, to help with that, and avoid making it too daunting or overwhelming, at the outset, to cope with:

Neurodivergent Insights - ADHD and Autism Bedtime Routine: Advice for Neurodivergent Adults

It's also one of the suggestions in this book, which I found very helpful early on.

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

The NAS also has some advice here, which again includes creating a routine:

NAS - Sleep and autism

Hi Bunny, these are fantastic ideas and resources- thank you so much! I’m always amazed at how brilliant this community is at providing support and helpful ideas - I am so grateful for the people in this community and how incredibly kind and helpful they are. It really does restore my faith in people. Sometimes I just feel so exasperated with myself and I don’t know where to start with dealing with a problem - but coming on here and talking with others on here who understand always helps me to focus and find solutions. Thank you so much